The Nation Newspaper

Category: Jobs

  • Effective networking strategies for job hunting (I & II)

    Effective networking strategies for job hunting (I & II)

    Job search requires a grand strategy, some semi-strategies and operational tactics. Whatever your strategies, are the key lesson for success in today’s job market is that you have to be pro-active. Most job seekers utilise the passive approach; they submit application/Curriculum Vitae when the opportunity comes their way, and wait.

    When they don’t hear anything, they repeat the process. It is not wrong for you to apply the conventional means. But you will be out of the job queue faster if you employ creative and unconventional strategies. Afterall, you have nothing to lose, except may be your joblessness!

    “The major difference between successful and unsuccessful job hunter is not some factors out there …..But the way they go about their job hunt”.

    That was quoting Dick Boles, author of “What colour is upon parachute”.

    You are seriously looking   for a job. I know. But are you looking for it in the right places? Are you asking/talking to the right people? Are you putting in the right amount of time and other resources? Are you deploying these resources in the right direction? These are important questions. Knowing whether you are doing the right thing can be the key to your unending job search.

    Jobs, jobs, jobs everywhere! This I admit will be extremely difficult for an individual who has been looking for a job for over 3 years to believe. But in most instances there are more job openings than the job seeker knows about. That is easy to believe. And that the more you get to know about job opportunities, the better your chance of actualising the dream of a better job. Thus every effort must be made to create many opportunities of knowing about openings. This sounds elementary. But how have you been doing it?

    The principle above is that you need to generate job leads. (It is only then that you can pursue it). And that the higher the quantity of job leads, the better. We, however, need to balance this with the quality of job leads. A higher quality job lead is the one that has a higher chance of your been employed. Looking in the newspaper can give you five, 10 leads on a single day. But a huge number of people looking for job will also have read the ads. You will therefore be operating in a crowded market. Imagine being given an introduction to a certain manager in a certain company, with a job opening. And the job may not be advertised. It may take days to see the person, but that is a high quality job lead. So you have to keep in mind the two variables (quality and quantity) and do some balancing.

    Most employers as said earlier do not advertise. In fact, it is estimated that 80 per cent job are not advertised. Or when was the last time First Bank, MTN, Shell Glaxowelcom advertised? They would rather consider someone referred to them by a friend, trusted employees, colleagues, etc. It is like looking for a doctor or mechanic: we all prefer those ones introduced to us.

    We will pursue this further next week

    It bears repetition that nobody owes you a job. You have to go after it.

    EkiniConsult is organising three free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only.

     

    You are seriously looking for
    a job. I know. But are you look
    ing for it in the right places? Are you asking/talking to the right people? Are you putting in the right amount of time and other resources? Are you deploying these resources in the right direction? These are important questions. Knowing whether you are doing the right thing can be the key to your unending job search.

    Networking as an option in job hunting is a targeted effort to talk to people about your job search. It should be a calculated campaign to contact people for ideas, suggestions and information. You should systematically pursue new contacts and information.

    As essential as networking is to job search, many people have problems with formal networking as job searcher strategy- some are embarrassed to admit they are looking for work.

    Some feel it is like begging for work. For others, it is “I don’t want people to feel I am taking advantage of them” these are excuses on their kneels – lame excuses, they call it.

    Looking for work does not carry any stigma, most people change job on the average every 4-6 years. People are more understanding than you think. A basic principle of networking is that you are looking for information-you shouldn’t ask for a job. Asking for information shouldn’t be too much. In job search network, as in all networking situations endeavour to make it mutually beneficial.

    There are four basic categories of networking contacts, each with its own unique value. And you should draw from each category:

    • People  you know well-friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, etc

    • People you see occasionally – acquaintances and business contacts.

    • Referrals from your other networking contacts.

     

    Following are some general networking guides:

     

    • Initial contact for the sole purpose of networking. Do not wait to bump on people.

    • Develop a networking list. Endeavour to make contact with everyone on your list. Add new people you meet or use referred to by your contacts.

    • Set networking goals. What do you want to achieve with each contacts. How many contacts would you make per week? How many would you want to see/phone per week? Check progress.

    • Come to meetings prepared. Know what questions you want to ask. Take notes. Always have your Curriculum Vitae handy. Contacts may turn to become potential employer in seconds or may what to refer your C. V to someone else.

    • Always ask if the person knows of anyone else you should meet. Kind out if you can use his/her name when contacting much people.

    • Maintain networking filling system including a record of outcomes of each contact and obtained information.

     

    • Face – to – face meeting is always better.

    • Show appreciation for opinion, assistance, time and information.

    • Plan your follow up, implement follow-up plans.

    • Say thank you often. Better in writing (or e-mail)

    Stretch your network by meeting new people who are friends, associates and acquaintances of your networking contacts. Of course by now you are most probably out of your comfort zone, Go on. This is where real action is, and the good news is that you are closing in on a job. When approaching a referral contact, introduce yourself with a lead statement that attracts attention. Use the name of the person who referred you (except he forbids it or it is not tactical to do so). State your proposal. If it is a face-to face meeting, respect his time, be prepared and be professional.

     

    EkiniConsult is organising three free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free e-Book only.

     

     

     

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    Effective Networking Strategies for For Job Hunting II

    You are seriously looking   for a job. I know. But are you looking for it in the right places? Are you asking / talking is the right people? Are you putting in the right amount of time and other resources? Are you deploying these resources in the right direction? These are important questions. Knowing whether you are doing the right thing can be the key to your unending job search.

    Networking as an option in job hunting is a targeted effort to talk to people about your job search. It should be a calculated campaign to contact people for ideas, suggestions and information. You should systematically pursue new contacts and information. As essential as networking is to job search, many people have problems with formal networking as job searcher strategy- some are embarrassed to admit they are looking for work. Some feel it is like begging for work. For others, it is “I don’t want people to feel I am taking advantage of them” these are excuses on their kneels – lame excuses, they call it. Looking for work does not carry any stigma, most people change job on the average every 4-6 years. People are more understanding than you think. A basic principle of networking is that you are looking for information-you shouldn’t ask for a job. Asking for information shouldn’t be too much. In job search network, as in all networking situations endeavor to make it mutually beneficial.

    There are four basic categories of networking contacts, each with its own unique value. And you should draw from each category:

    (a)                 People  you know well-friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, etc

    (b)                People you see occasionally – acquaintances and business contacts.

    (c)                 Referrals from your other networking contacts.

    Following are some general networking guides:

    i.                   Initial contact for the sole purpose of networking. Do not wait to bump on people.

    ii.                  Develop a networking list. Endeavor to make contact with everyone on your list. Add new people you meet or use referred to by your contacts.

    iii.                Set networking goals. What do you want to achieve with each contacts. How many contacts would you make per week? How many would you want to see/phone per week? Check progress.

    iv.                 Come to meetings prepared. Know what questions you want to ask. Take notes. Always have your Curriculum Vitae handy. Contacts may turn to become potential employer in seconds or may what to refer your C. V to someone else.

    v.                  Always ask if the person knows of anyone else you should meet. Kind out if you can use his/her name when contacting much people.

    vi.                 Maintain networking filling system including a record of outcomes of each contact and obtained information.

    vii.               Face – to – face meeting is always better

    viii.              Show appreciation for opinion, assistance, time and information.

    ix.                 Plan you follow up, implement follow-up plans.

    x.                  Say thank you often. Better in writing ( or e-mail)

    Stretch your network by meeting new people who are friends, associates and acquaintances of your networking contacts. Of course by now you are most probably out of your comfort zone, Go on. This is where real action is, and the good news is that you are closing in on a job. When approaching a referral contact, introduce yourself with a lead statement that attracts attention. Use the name of the person who referred you (except he forbids it or it is not tactical to do so). State your proposal. If it is a face-to face meeting, respect his time, be prepared and be professional.

    EkiniConsult is organizing 3 free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only.

     

     

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    Job search when you have to be discreet

    When you don’t want your current employer to find out that you are job hunting, there are steps you can take to keep your job search confidential. The last thing you need to have happen when job searching is for your employer to accidentally find out that you’re looking for a new job. It could jeopardize both your current position and future references from your employer.

    Here are some suggestions on how to effectively job hunt on the sly, so that the wrong person doesn’t find out that you are looking to make a move.

    Stealth Job Hunting Do’s and Don’ts

    Email Address

    Do not use your work email address for job hunting. Use your personal account or set up a free web-based email account specifically for job searching.

    Office Equipment

    Don’t use your employer’s computers or phone system. Many employers monitor Internet usage and review phone call logs. Keep your resume, your email correspondence, and anything and everything related to your job search on your home computer.

    Your Resume

    Be careful where you post your resume. If you don’t want your current employer to accidently find your resume when searching for candidates, post on job sites where you can keep your employer and contact information confidential. For example, if you post your resume on Monster, you can make it confidential and your contact information and references won’t be displayed. You can block your present company’s name by entering an end date of present for your current position.

    Additional Resume Options

    Other options for protecting your privacy (aside from blocking) include listing a generic company name and job title, rather than a specific one. You can also leave off company contact information. Do the same with your contact information and phone numbers. List your job searching email address and cell phone number.

    Telephone Tips

    Do not use your work phone number for job hunting. Instead, put your cell phone number and/or home phone number on your resume. Be sure to have voice mail or an answering machine in place so you get the messages in a timely fashion.

    How and When

    If you can’t job hunt from work, what other options are there besides evenings and weekends? Visit a bookstore, cafe or library with internet access on your lunch hour and bring your laptop if you can find a wireless connection to use. Use your phone to job search – there are lots of job search apps available. Lunch time also a good time to return prospective employer phone calls, especially if you can take an early or late lunch to catch them in the office.

    Interviewing

    Try to schedule interviews for either the beginning or the end of the day or on your lunch hour. If you have vacation time you can use, schedule multiple interviews for the same day.

    Dress the Part

    If you typically wear jeans to work, don’t wear a suit when you have an interview scheduled. Someone will start wondering what the occasion is for dressing up.

    Be Discreet

    Be careful who you tell that you’re looking for a new job. If you tell co-workers, you can be sure that it will get back to your boss, one way or the other. Do tell your family, so they can take messages for you and so they don’t inadvertently spill the beans to your work colleagues and leave you a message that someone is calling about an interview.

    Social Networking Sites

    Be really careful what you post on social networking sites. Don’t tell your Facebook friends or your LinkedIn connections that you’re job searching. Don’t tweet about your job search activities either. Even if your boss doesn’t follow your updates, someone else may and the word that you’re job hunting could get back.

    EkiniConsult & Associates is organizing 3 free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only.

     

     

  • Pauline Fredericks & Co. appoints GM, restr uctures

    Lagos based communications firm, Pauline Fredericks & Co. has announced the appointment of Austin Udueni and Miebi Joseph Senge as General Manager and Media Manager, respectively. Their appointment by the company followed a major restructuring and transformation, which also led to name change to PFCAfrica.

    A seasoned communications expert and journalist, Udueni until recently held fort as Executive Director at JSP Communications, before he left for private consultancy business. He brings into the new PFCAfrica a wealth of experience and expertise in public relations and communications business garnered over several years in the industry.

    Senge, Media Manager, is a core journalist and a communications professional with a strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Sports flair. He heads the company’s media operations. Until recently, Senge was acting head, ICT Desk, Vanguard and Managing Editor, Communication Week.

    He also worked with a Lagos based Public Relations (PR) firm, XLR8 Ltd as Communications Executive, where he was part of managing communications direction team for several blue chip companies in Nigeria.

    According to a statement by the company, as GM Udueni who has since resumed at its high brow Victoria Island, Lagos office, “drives the business as Chief Operating Officer (COO), while Senge leads the media team.”

    The statement said: “We are set to break new grounds in the industry and redefine the communications business in Nigeria and across Africa. We are confident in our vision and delighted with the team we have in place and the expertise of its leadership.”

  • Reforming power sector, creating jobs

    Reforming power sector, creating jobs

    For some who were hitherto unemployed, the power sector reform is a blessing. They have been employed by the distribution and generation companies in a bid to ensure regular power supply. EMEKA UGWUANYI reports.

    All is set for the hiring of fresh hands by the distribution and generation companies–six months after they acquired the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The successor firms conducted a staff audit between  January and March to determine those to retain among workers inherited from PHCN.

    At the end of the six months agreement with labour to retain the PHCN workers, the distribution companies (Discos) and their generation counterparts (Gencos) sacked those whose services were no longer required.

    The disengagement created a huge employment gap. In Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies, over 5,000 workers were laid off. The Nation learnt that the companies will employ no fewer than 1,000 workers each. About 90 per cent of them will be engineers and technicians.

    The Nation also learnt that the companies concluded employment of the first batch last month as part of measures to keep their operations running. The employment of the second batch, it was learnt, will begin next month.

    Those hired are degree and diploma holders. They will be in charge of fault clearing, repair of transformers and installation and commissioning of power equipment.

    An official of one of the Discos told The Nation in confidence: “We conducted staff audit in preparation for the six months agreement that we had with labour to retain former employees of PHCN, which expired by the  end of April. Some of us engaged reputable auditing firms such as KPMC and PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) to carry out the exercise. The essence is to ensure transparent and professional job. The truth is that the era of family connection as a criterion to secure job in the power company is over.

    “In fact, the audit was purely scientific and professional. We have decided to sieve the workforce, keep those that have the required skill, those who have the motivation to move the company to the next level, and have the operational excellence to give power to the man on the street, and disengage those without the required skills.”

    The  Chief Executive Officers of Ikeja and Eko Electricity Distribution Companies, Abiodun Ajifowobaje, an engineer, and Dr. Oladele Amoda, told the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Privatisation and Commercialisation during their oversight visits that the firms had aged workforce, which must be replaced.

    The other distribution companies in Ibadan, Enugu, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Benin, have also employed young engineers and technicians.

    President and Chief Executive Officer of General Electric (GE) Lazarus Angbazo said the company is constructing a manufacturing plant in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. The first phase of the multi-billion naira project, which will manufacture power equipment, generator turbines for power plants, coaches for trains, engines for aircraft and hospital equipment, among others, is ongoing.

    He said GE’s engineering manufacturing plant would employ over 300 Nigerian professional engineers and technicians and ensure the training of young Nigerians through the company’s technology transfer programme.

    The investment, he said, was evidence that the present administration is making progress, adding that Nigeria would soon become the hub for GE’s operations in Africa.

    The Managing Director, Korea Electric Power Nigeria Limited, Yeom Gyoo Chull, technical partner to Sahara Energy Group, the core investor in Egbin Generation Plc, and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), told reporters during a facility tour that the management has been discussing on transformation of the plant and the workers. The strategy that is to restore Egbin to its fully built capacity of 1320Mw this year and build more turbines to provide additional 1,350Mw.

    The additional capacity, Chull said, would begin in the next three years, adding that on completion it, will bring the combined output to 2,670Mw. He said the target is to achieve a total capacity of over 10,000Mw in 10 years if demand allows.

    He said: “I represent the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and we are proud to be involved in the power reforms through a Joint Venture between Korean Electric Power Corporation and Energy Resource Limited – managers of the Egbin Power station and New Electricity Distribution Company (NEDC) – managers of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) both members of the Sahara Group.

    “We intend to collaborate with our partners in Nigeria to initially restore Egbin to its fully built capacity of 1320Mw within the year and provide additional projected capacity of 1,350Mw commencing within the next three years, thus at completion we’ll have 2,670MW, with the aim of achieving a total capacity of over 10000Mw in the next decade if the demand permits.”

  • Making the best of newspaper job advertisements

    You need to have a job search strategy to guide the search.

    And that a key element is that you need to have good quality job leads in the largest quantity possible. To achieve this you need to be proactive, taking steps to generate the leads, and to pursue them systematically.

    Vacancy announcement in newspapers is the most obvious and most easily tapped of all job leads. It gives you the number in a relatively short time and most probably with little effort and expense.

    This it is the main strategy for most job seekers, and it is okay if you pursue this avenue for job searching. But just keep this in mind: the odds are stacked high against you. For the fact that it is a means obvious to all job seekers, it cannot be an effective or efficient means of job search.

    Whenever you respond to an advert, regardless of your qualifications, you are playing the game of numbers, with the odds against you. See, the truth is that the vast majority of job opening never get advertised in the newspaper.

    On the other hand, there are people who believe that vacancy announcement are absolutely useless or are distrustful of them. They do not consider it all in their job strategy. They feel that most adverts are ruse, placed to “justify all righteousness”.

    Fortunately, this too, is largely incorrect. Adverts are expensive, and most companies cannot afford that kind of money just to play games. And they not require “due process” in their recruitment process. As a matter of fact, most employers place adverts after they have exhausted other means (believed to be better)  like referrals, unsolicited adverts, internal promotions, etc.

    Even where some manager ‘have their own candidate’, it is not impossible for you to upstage such a candidate during the recruitment process if you are really good. Believe me companies can hardly resist taking exceptional candidates revealed during then selection process.

    So play the game, just keep the odds in view. And in playing the game, we will advise the following:

    • Follow the job vacancy announcements closely, but do not allow them to dominate your job hunt campaign. Keep in mind that what the ads reveal to you us just a small slice of the Nigeria job market.

    • Search for vacancy announcement everywhere. The obvious are the national newspapers. Do not restrict ourselves to one popular for job adverts or professional/ specialist magazines and newsletters alone. Enlist help of close friends and family members who have access or better access to newspapers. Tell them to be on the look out for you- get more 99 eyes for ‘full network coverage’!

    • Be systematic and thorough when you are searching for job leads in the newspapers and magazine. Get a sense early on of the different headings under which job leads of interest to you may appear. And don’t base on purely job titles. A job described as Executive Assistant may in fact be a standard secretarial position. And a Personal Assistant to the managing   director may require an individual who is sales – oriented, or manufacturing-oriented or finance –oriented.

    • Develop a system to allow you to keep track of all the ads you respond to (dates of publication and application, the CV sent- (if you have more than one), the position – if there are many positions you could have applied for etc. Develop a routine fro vacancy announcement search for job leads.

    • Keep in mind that if takes between six weeks and 12 weeks (sometimes six months) to fill a job of substance. Usually the bigger the job, the longer they look in most companies. So if you are really qualified, send in late application.

    • Keep a record of all correspondence received from employers- invitations letters, refusals, forms, applications etc.

    • Since pursuing job leads through job vacancy announcement is a number game, the general principal is for you to respond to any advertisement that sounds interesting. However, there is a caveat; if you are currently working, tread carefully where blind ads (ads where the advertiser is not adequately identified) are concerned. It may end on the desk of your employers friend, or worse still, on the table of your boss (don’t laugh)

    • Do not allow the qualifications listed in the advert intimidate you. Usually they are put there to limit responses. You may respond to an advert that requires a “number of three years experience” if you have just one year experience. Just work on your covering letter to sound convincing, or stress you outstanding qualities, but don’t forget to point not your “deficiency”.

    • If the listed salary is somewhat below your set target, but the job looks like the one you will enjoy, apply. Similarly, if the job does not sound exactly exciting, but the company sounds interesting, apply. They are both a foot in the door. You will never know all about a job until you are have had an interview.

    • It should not be out of place to say again that your CV/resume must be exceptional. Ideally, your CV   should “this is a candidate we must talk to concerning this job opening.“

    So the targeted resume will use the vacancy announcement detail to tailor it to the requirements as stated by the employers. That is amongst other things that make your resume exceptional. In addition, your covering letter, or more conventionally, application letter, must play well its crucial role of customising you CV and/or making your it a must read. It must stand you out.

     

    EkiniConsult & Associates  is organising three  free and open workshops, “Knocking on the Right Doors- Strategies for Uncovering the Hidden Job Market” for The Nation readers in Lagos. A free eBook of the same title will be given to those who may not be able to. If you are interested, send-in your name, location, email address and GSM no to 080-8384-3230. Precede with the word ‘ATTEND’ for those who want to come and ‘FREE EBOOK’ for those who want the free eBook only.

  • ‘Why govt should diversify economy’

    ‘Why govt should diversify economy’

    For long, successive administrations have talked about diversying the economy. The United States (US) has stopped buying Nigeria’s oil because of its discovery of shale oil. WEMABOD Estates Limited Chairman Dr Ismail Adebayo Adewusi says the time has come for the government to walk the talk on diversifying the economy. In this interview with LEKE SALAUDEEN, he also speaks on affordable housing, gross domestic product (GDP) rebasing and using agriculture to check rising youth unemployment.

    Can we achieve affordable housing  for the low income group in the country?

    It is achievable but it is a bit difficult. We have a shortfall of 17 million houses in Nigeria today. The capacity of government to build houses is hindered by paucity of funds. Government should not be directly involved in the production of houses. The private sector should be the driver of housing development. What government should do is to provide mortgage facilities, make land titling and documentation easy for prospective house owners. The absence of documentation makes it difficult for people to have access to mortgage loans. If it is made easy to obtain, it will boost the capacity of the individuals for housing requirements. The major challenges of housing include lack of individual capacity, lack of sufficient mortgage facility and lack of cheap loans for construction of houses. The 22 per cent interest charged by banks is too high.

    What can government do to ensure access to housing?

    The value of support provided by government will go a long way in solving the housing problems in the country. Government should set up financial institutions like they have in China. Such institutions would provide funds at highly subsidised rate for housing developers. Mortgage finance institutions will make it easier for people to build houses. The National Housing Fund (NHF) and Federal Mortgage Finance (FMF) are restricted to civil servants. But what is the percentage of the civil servants? The state governments should invite investors, engage private sector and support them to build houses for their people including the civil servants.

    Why do housing projects fail in Nigeria?

    It is very clear and simple. If you want to start a project and you are not well prepared in terms of funding, it is a problem. Many people go into housing business believing that they will do it piece-meal, but it goes beyond that because if you don’t plan properly, in terms of your cost structure, you are likely to run into trouble. During your waiting period, most of the materials will have quadrupled in prices and at the end all your efforts will be wasted. But the reality is that most people will have to wait for them to get proper funding and get materials and all that. That explains why most housing projects are failing.

    Apart from funding, what other problems do we have in the sector?

    Obviously, the major problem in housing sector is funding. Another is the quality of our local artisans. We have them in abundance but the quality of works you get from them these days are terrible. As a result, most of the artisans-the bricklayers, the plumbers, the carpenters, the tillers are brought in from neighbouring West African countries. We need to enhance the skills of our local artisans for better service delivery. If you engage the local artisans to build a house for you without proper supervision, you will find that after six months the structure will start crumbling or showing signs of defect.

    The land ownership system is another major problem in the housing sector.  It is either a prospective house owner buys a land from landowner or seek land allocation from government scheme. The cost of land nowadays is very high that many cannot afford. The location of the land is another thing. If the land is far from the city, and you build houses on it, nobody will want to buy those houses from you.

    Has WEMABOD lived up to the expectation of its founding fathers?

    WEMABOD was established by the defunct Western Regional Government led by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His vision was to set up a very huge company that would provide services such as industrial, residential and office accommodation that were not available in Lagos. Remember that Lagos was not part of Western Region but Ikeja was. That was the reason most of the industrial complexes are located around Ikeja environ. So, the vision of the leadership at that time was to ensure that we harness our resources in terms of real estate investment and as well generate revenue. It really generated revenue at that time. So, the vision was not only to provide residential, office and industrial accommodation, but also to generate funds for the government at that time.

    I will say that largely, the vision has been accomplished because we have in many parts of the country, buildings in the name of WEMABOD estates. For instance, we have Western House and Unity House both located in Broad Street, Lagos . We have Development House in Apapa and Investment House in Lagos.

    Have you added to these estates since your assumption of office as chairman of WEMABOD?

    We are trying to chart a new focus. We have gone into property development of our own. It is important to create some legacy assets. We are working towards property development across the Southwest owner states. For instance, a new housing project will start in Ekiti State very soon. Ogun State has allocated plots of land for the planned housing project. The construction of 5,000 shops in Samonda area of Ibadan is on in collaborative effort with some private institutions. When it is ready, it is going to be one of the largest markets in Ibadan, Oyo State. We have the on-going Millennium Estate in Gateway City, Ibafo, Ogun State. When the project is completed, we should have between 750 and 1,000 housing units. We are creating new assets and new estates.

    We are also working with other stakeholders in Ondo, Osun and Ogun states in order to deliver these projects. We have some constraints because housing development in Nigeria is largely driven by the private sector.But we want the government to do more in terms of special funding for real estate because banks are not usually eager to extend credit to that sector for long term investment.Most banks are using short-term funds and that is what economists call’strategic fund’ meaning using short-term fund to finance long term investment. It is a problem for investors.

    Recently, the economy was rated as the largest in Africa. What does this translate to?

    It means we have a stronger economy that can create wealth for the people and improve the living standard of the people. The mere rebasing is not enough to say all is well with the economy. In a situation where electricity remains epileptic, unemployment is on the high side, inflation risen to 27 per cent, and the exchange rate at N161 to a dollar are all indications that all is not well with our economy.  We have to justify our leadership in Africa through enhanced quality life for the people and massive infrastructural development. South Africa has a very developed infrastructure. We operate mono-cultural economy that depends on oil export for foreign earnings. We need to improve our earnings from agriculture and other non-oil sectors. Once we do that we would have a robust economy. It will restore confidence in our economy and with that we will get a lot support from international organisations. The recent Economic Forum held in Abuja has projected that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth $68 billion is coming to Nigeria. What we expect from the recent rebased GDP is to translate into better prospect for Nigerians in terms of economic development, improved living standard of the people and creation of new jobs.

    The World Bank has ranked Nigeria the fifth poorest in the world. Does Nigeria deserve this given its economic potential?

    We don’t have any basis to question the World Bank report. If you look at the standard of living of the people, the political and socio-economic problems, the level of infrastructure decay and the high rate of unemployment coupled with the fact that most homes in Nigeria don’t have access to electricity which is fundamental to development, you will agree with me that there is no basis for us to fault the World Bank report. Nigeria is generating 4,000 mega watts (Mw) of electricity which is not close to what is needed in Lagos alone. Imagine a country such as South Africa that generates 40, 000 Mw.  Can we compare Nigeria with South Africa in terms of economic development?  No.  We are several miles away. We have the resources but we are not making use of them. It portends under development and poverty in the land. Look at the oil theft going on in the Niger Delta and the seeming helplessness of the Federal Government in curbing the activities of the criminals.

    The solution is that we should embark on infrastructural development. For instance, stable power supply will boost the economy. Some industries have closed shops because of epileptic power supply and the few that are still in circulation operate at a very low installed capacity. I think the privatisation of the power sector is a right step in the right direction. With that, there will be more investments in power generation and distribution. We cannot wait forever, the time is now to get regular power supply.

    The size of our economy is $500 billion. We have a strong economy that can create wealth for the people and improve their living standard. The mere rebasing of GDP is not enough to determine the economic well being of the citizens.

    With oil still flowing from our soil, is it possible to diversify the economy?

    Yes. It can be done. There is danger in relying only on oil for foreign earnings. When the demand for our oil falls in the international market, what do we do? This is likely to happen sooner than we expect because the United States that is a major buyer of Nigerian oil has found oil in commercial quantity and may decide to start production at any time. We should start to prop up the non-oil sector like agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Things are getting better in agric with some reforms that have taken place. Local industries pay through their nose to produce because of poor power supply. That is why prices of local products are more expensive than the imported ones. Employment and economic generation is impossible when the manufacturing sector is comatose.

    Agriculture is a big business. It makes it easier for graduates to go into farming when government creates the enabling environment. We can use agriculture as a nucleus for employment generation. It is very crucial to diversify the economy to generate income flow for the unemployed youths and adults. Fifty- four per cent unemployed people of our population is a social problem. How do we get them employed? I think agriculture holds the key. Government should put the frame work together on how to get the youths employed.

    The primitive method of farming has discouraged many youths from venturing into agriculture. What can be done to make it attractive?

    China with over 1.4 billion population reckons on agriculture as a foreign exchange earner. Most of the farmers are small scale farm holders. You don’t need several hectares of land for farming. One hectare of land will make a lot of difference. If it is well developed, agriculture will guarantee self-sufficiency in food production and food export, create job opportunities and create wealth for the people.

    About 74 per cent of cocoa production in Nigeria is done in the Southwest. The Federal Government is ready to support the Southwest in cocoa cultivation. Cocoa made a difference in the Southwest during the era of late Chief Awolowo.  Cocoa production alone can employ hundreds of thousands of youths. A report has shown that cocoa can now mature in two years as against the former four years. It doesn’t require any rocket science to put in place the frame work for the economy to increase the government capacity for employment generation. All it needs to do is to empower the farmers. Agricultural banks should extend credit at low interest rates to farmers. Government should provide necessary inputs to farmers. All these will add value to our economy for it to grow better.

    What are your views on government budgeting process in Nigeria?

    The people are not involved in budgeting process. Government officials don’t consult people. All they do is to sit down in their posh offices and say we need this and that without getting people involved. Because of lack of funding, most projects turn out to be paper work. The reason for this is high cost of governance. A situation where 70 per cent of the total budget is devoted to recurrent expenditure and 30 per cent to capital projects, no meaningful development can be achieved. The presidential system is very costly. It doesn’t support development. This year’s budget was signed five months into the financial year. It will have effect on the economy. Budget deliberation and approval are cumbersome. There is need to make our budget people-oriented.

     

  • Construction jConstruction jobs from home charterobs from home charter

    Construction jConstruction jobs from home charterobs from home charter

    Ogun State Home Owners Charter was designed to enable landlords regularise the ownership of their properties in the state. The initiative was also conceived to create wealth for people as property owners in the state will easily get their Building Plan Approval and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) at discounted rates. Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie reports that the scheme did not only allow property owners to regularise their property documents, it also created jobs for people in the building and construction industry as well as others that provided ancillary services.

    The Home Owners Charter Programme of Ogun State government has turned out to be a unique project that has not only allowed people to regularise individual home ownership but also created jobs for all cadre of the public.

    After the launch of the programme late last year, prospective applicants were asked to collect their individual forms with N5,000 and to return the form after completion with N10,000 for processing before the final assessment of the particular building and subsequent  final payment followed with the issuance of  Building Plan Approval and Certificate of Occupancy

    But it has created jobs for not only professionals in the construction sector but in other sectors including entrepreneurs who will catch in on the process and create value added services to drive the programme.

    For instance, investigation conducted by The Nation in Ifo, Atan, Owode, Iperu, Ikenne, Ilishan, Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu-Igbo, Oru, Awa, Ilaporu, Ayetoro and other areas of the state  revealed that thousands of homes don’t have survey plan not to talk of  approved buiding plans.

    Government sources said less than 110 out of 50 houses in most of these towns have approved survey and building plans.

    The Home Owners Charter initiative of the state government, investigation revealed, has created jobs for thousands of surveyors, draftsman and architects who were contracted by the landlords to perfect their home documents.

    The Chairman Gift Architects, Alhaji Abduwaheed Adewale Adetona said the scheme has created jobs for many people within and outside the state.

    “The truth of the matter is that many people have benefited from the scheme. I am aware that many suveyors were contracted through our office to help home owners perfect their tittle documents before submision to the government.

    “Don’t forget that the government is aware that many homes in Ogun State don’t have all the necessary papers to help them secure loan from the bank hence, one of the reasons the government introduced the scheme was to assist the people,” he said.

    To be part of the “Home Owners Charter” programme, he said, a home owner was expected to submit any proof of ownership in terms of receipt of payment for the land, survey plan, building approval plan and others.

    Findings revealed that the rush for the deadline given for the collection and submission of forms for the Home Owners Charter initiative was so tense that the state government extended it to March  from its original December last year date to enable officials in charge of the programme enough time to attend to the huge crowd witnessed at the various centres.

    In extending the deadline for the submission of forms, government created more centres rising above 1,000 centres across the state while major outlets had containers or cubicles constructed with iron by welders at an estimated cost of N50,000 per unit and also painted in their unique colours creating hundreds of jobs for  painters.

    The government also engaged 14 consulting town plavaluers who on their own had not less than 14 professionals and ad hoc workers that handled the collation and enumeration exercises. Where any applicant had insufficient document such as the building or survey plan, they were usually referred to the relevant professional for a fee. So, it was a boom time for construction professionals as the services required to drive the process was an integrated one with all their inputs required.

    It was noticed that wherever the cubicles or big umbrellas existed, a small market usually spring up with people engaged in all manner of trading to support the services of either the officials of the Home Charter Initiative or prospective applicants who usually waited endlessly to be attended to.

    One of the Consulting Town Planners  who didn’t want his name in print said the exercise did not only created jobs for town planners but also for other professionals in the building sector. Jobless people who did not have  basic skills in the sector were engaged as either office assistants or as back-up for field officials that worked across the state.

    Furthermore, he said the process created jobs for owners of business centres or those who simply bought photocopiers to photocopy documents, noting that none of those centres employed less than five workers to drive the process.

    He noted that the multiplier effect of the programme in terms of job creation is huge as no applicant had less than 16 pages of photocopied documents including receipts, building and survey plans of more than 136,000 applications that were received for the scheme.  It also created jobs for hundreds of food vendors and mini book shops where people sold envelopes used to submit the forms in the more than 1,000 centres.

    Information Officer, Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Tunde Olayiwola, said the state government set out to patronise professionals and the less skilled to make the policy a success and also create jobs.

    He said: “Government contracted consultants to help go round the Home Owners Charter scheme’s different locations across the state  to gather the necessary materials and information needed to finish the job on schedule and efficiently too. The process also led to employment opportunities, absorbing over 480 skilled and unskilled labour and about 50 ad hoc workers that came to the data room every day. If you multiply the number of consultants we have and also put into consideration the number of workers they engaged, then you will agree that the programme is a win-win situation.”

    An entrepreneur Mr. Tosin Olagunju who had a make-shift business centre in Ibafo,  Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state said the initiative was a blessing for him. He said though he is not a landlord yet, he had the opportunity of making enough money to pay his rent and settle outstanding school fees for his two children.

    He commended the government’s initiative saying that his wife, also an joined him selling  phone recharge card.

    Olagunju said he is looking forward to the second phase of the programme, promising to add more line of business to what he already has.

  • Politics in the work-place: Are you an owl or a fox?

    To be effective and to survive, managers require leadership competencies which include envisioning, mental energy and stamina, a sense of purpose, ability to continue learning, ability to handle organisational politics, understanding and managing teams, facilitative in approach, being intuitive, change management, communication, stress management, balancing ambition and integrity, etc.

    Countless hours of training, books upon books, academic and non-academic papers and vital units of business education curriculum have been devoted to one of the above competencies/skills or the other.

    However, little has been written about organisational politics, either because many find the subject distasteful or perhaps because it is deemed to be worthy of study.  Neither is it found in the syllabus of any management programme of MBA course that I have come across.  What a waste! It is possible that more people’s careers flounder on the rocks of organisational politics than for many other reasons. Yet it is an area of great interest to practising managers. An exceedingly high proportion of the extra-curricular questions (i.e. those asked in the bar at the end of the day) in most out-of-site training programmes centre on this thorny area.

    Whether we want to admit it or not, the stark reality is that there is heavy, sometimes dangerous politicks, is going on in our establishments and corporations. While it may not be surprising to find it in government institutions and corporations, the academia is not left out. Even the so-called blue chip companies are not left out, including the local subsidiaries of trans-national corporations. In our environment, the basis of the politicking is a little more complex and the instrument of practice can be scary. Organisation politics here is complicated by unbridled nepotism, ethnicity and corruption. It is not unusual for promotions, appointments and postings to be done on one or more of the above considerations rather than merit and competence. And the instrument ranges from the absurd to the macabre-juju, assault, arson and, even, assassination!

     

    So, how can politics be defined and, more importantly, how can it be survived?

    If company politics can be described as ‘the way we do things around here’, then surely it can also be described as ‘the way that we do things to people around here’. It is sad truism that whatever people gather to tackle a task, there will be tension, rivalries, jealousies, hidden agendas and plain old-fashion mischief. Not only do people want to achieve the task their own way, they also want the way that the task is approached to reflect glory in certain specific directions and to help the careers of specific individuals or groups.  It may not be pleasant, but, whether your place of work is a merchant bank or a monastery, it is unavoidable. Indeed, there is evidence to show that the more senior and better educated the participants, the more prevalent and unpleasant will be the politics. At Marks & Spencer’s Head Office in London in the 70s, a number of highly qualified, talented individuals played fast and furious political games.  The reasons? The awesome organisation in its retail stores did not extend to Head Office, where many senior professionals were somewhat under-employed. As the saying goes, ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’, and the spare hours were filled with all sorts of intrigue.

    The concept of political animals is a popular one, and the University of Birmingham has conducted intriguing studies on the nature of these beasts in organisations.  Researchers identified two axes behaviour:

     

    • That of being ‘well-read’ in what was going on politically within the organisation: having an interest in the different factions’ power camps and power plays. The degree to which one was well-read could be high or low

    • That of having an interest in self and the promotion of one’s own aims versus that of having a prime interest in the fortunes and welfare of the organisation.

    With these axes in mind, it then became possible to identify four discrete orientations and to label each with the name of the animal most representative.

     

    Orientation 1:  Here the individual was politically well-read and had a high interest in the fortunes of the organisation rather than self. This individual they labelled the Wise Owl.  Owls are both liked and respected; furthermore, they are seldom hunted and usually survive. There is one downside, however: they do not often get to the head of the forest.

     

    Orientation 2: In this box the individual was well-read and took an active interest in the politics; moreover, the individual promoted him- or herself actively within the organisation. Here we have the Crafty Fox.  The fox is not always popular, for it hunts and it can create mayhem, but usually it is a survivor.  Occasionally, it oversteps the mark and is hunted down, but even fox hunt in the area of southern England where I live are anything to go by, I’m glad to say!)

     

    Orientation 3: In the first of the lower boxes is found the person who is politically ill-read, but who on the other hand has a high degree of self-interest.

    The researchers contemptuously label this individual as the Donkey – both stubborn and stupid.  The donkey is used as a beast of burden, resents it and is seldom thanked.  It never reached the top.

     

    Orientation 4: The final box contains those who are badly read politically, who have no interest in improving their knowledge or skills and yet who continually put the organisation before self, Loyalty, blind loyalty, is the name of the game, and these people are labelled Sheep, unquestioning naive.  It is often happens that the sheep end up in the slaughterhouse.

    So, where is the best position to be politically? Having put this question to a wide variety of executives from different countries and cultures, the answer is invariably ‘just to the right of the Fox/Owl divide (i.e. a combination of both, but being slightly more of a Fox).  In other words, they were saying that you have to know the political forces at work and have to keep up to date with the trends and development here. In addition, you have to know how to play the game in order to appreciate the games was not worth the sacrifice or one’s own personal integrity and self-respect.  So, to survive, the effective leader must be ‘aware’ and must learn to apply this awareness in ethical ways that reinforce the leader’s credibility rather than detract from it. All the essential skills of questioning, listening and above all intuition must be used to the full. Having the antennae out of all times is not being manipulative and does not sacrifice integrity. It is simply being smart.

    Acknowledgement: we have relied heavily on John Maurik, Management Consultant and author, Discovering The Leader in You (McGraw-Hill, 1994) and The Portable Leader (McGraw-Hill, 1997).

     

     

    Olu Oyeniran is the Managing Partner/CEO, EkiniConsult & Associates, Job Search

    And Career Management Consultants and publishers of www.jobsearchskill.com

    Email: oluoye@jobsearchskill.com, jobsearchskill@yahoo. co.uk

     

  • Six Ps of job search

    Job hunting has striking similarities to marketing a product. Like the four Ps of branding, the “P”-words for a successful campaign are positioning, process, and persistence followed closely by performance, personality, and pricing. The product is the candidate.

    In order for a candidate to have the opportunity to sell his value to the targeted buyer/employer, the strategy driving the search has to be effective which means choosing the correct focus and developing the right approach.

    Your job search project may be one of the most demanding, and rewarding campaigns you will ever manage. Let’s look at the ways you can improve odds in your favour through savvy job hunting and best practices in job search implementation skills.

     

    Positioning

     

    The first step to launching a successful campaign and propelling it forward is to identify what makes you a unique candidate. With such stiff competition, it is imperative that candidates distinguish themselves. This means creating a message or an identity that is remarkable and memorable, one that will separate you from the pack of resumes hitting recruiters’ desks.

    It is sometimes difficult to develop this for yourself especially if your career has depended on doing this for others. You may want to seek advice and counsel to establish your value objectively. What is it that you do better than others? What is it about you that enables you to succeed where others don’t? Is there something in your background that others easily remember? This bit of specialised, personal data is your tagline.

    If you get the positioning targeted correctly, your campaign will be focused on the right employer market with a message that the buyer will value generating more employer interest. Once you have captured an employer’s attention, then you have created a chance to demonstrate your abilities that eventually may produce a job offer, the goal of your job search campaign project.

     

    Process

     

    The swiftest route to a new opportunity is to identify your target employers and then address their needs in terms of how you can meet them better than anyone else. Don’t wait around for a company to advertise for a job that is perfect for you. Rather, go out there and seek out a company where you are confident you can make a positive impact, especially one measurable in dollars saved or made.

    Double back to ensure that your positioning vis a vis your target employers is consistent with your most outstanding ability or characteristic that an employer will instantly value. In other words, the better the match, the greater the likelihood of capturing the employer’s interest immediately to actually satisfy their needs and exceed their expectations.

    If you understand the dynamics between meeting employers’ needs first and then promoting your skills against these requirements, your chances of making a connection are much greater than if you concentrate only on your achievements and accomplishments without customising them for an individual company in a way that unmistakably proves your value.

    Cite ways you can save money, save time, retain customers, reduce costs, increase sales or profits, etc.- this will offset their expenses of adding you to headcount.

     

    Persistence and

    perseverance

     

    The early bird, the first candidate to impress the decision maker, has a competitive advantage. So be the one to create a new job just for you by introducing yourself to employers you want to work for. This also means staying in contact with individuals with whom you “clicked” but didn’t reach an employment agreement for whatever reason. That positive interpersonal chemistry can make or break a situation in your favor so don’t let a good relationship slip away because the timing was off for hiring you.

    Sticking with your job search goals also means doing a whole lot more than simply submitting a resume or an online application—go and find out who is the hiring manager and speak with them directly. This will get you name recognition and hopefully allow you to pitch them on the phone or in person with your credentials; a much better method than a written marketing document/resume by itself.

    A word about focus and establishing priorities: concentrate your resources on activities with the largest potential return on your investment. While all search methods have their place, most executive jobs are filled through one avenue: personal referrals. Keep track of your contacts and refresh them periodically.

    Use different methods to stay in touch varying phone, email, snail-mail, an article or clipping, invitations, face to face, etc. according to the recipient preferences. Remember that in networking, maintaining contact is key to results—out of touch can mean out of mind. Ask your contacts for advice, introductions and information—not directly for a job. Rely on your professional network and return favours generously.

    Persistence in personal interactions is guaranteed to be the very best way to identify a new opportunity. Recommendations carry tremendous weight over cold calls and unsolicited inquiries. If you can get a colleague to make a direct referral to a prospective employer, your chances of being given serious consideration are much higher.

    If one colleague asks another to meet with a third person, this usually happens and once you are face to face, this is the best possible circumstance to create good interpersonal chemistry and share ideas. Interactions like these often lead to creating a new opportunity specifically in response to a candidate being available; in other words an unadvertised position in the hidden job market is created just for a particular candidate. Let this be you!

     

    Good luck and see you next week for the concluding part.

    This article relied heavily on a presentation by Debra Feldman of  Job-whiz.com

     

  • Need a job? Try these techniques, strategies

    Need a job? Try these techniques, strategies

    There are many job seekers who, despite their seeming unassailable educational and professional qualifications, cannot get jobs. There are reasons for this. These range from failure to apply using modern techniques, to failure to update their curriculum vitae. TOBA AGBOOLA writes.

    For job seekers, there is need to engage innovative methods to get the desired jobs.

    Experts said old methods of job hunting are no longer working due to factors that range from the after effects of the global financial crisis to the peculiar challenges the country is grappling with. They said it is possible for serious job seekers to shake off the toga of unemployment, secure a job and become part of future workers’ day celebrations if the right things are done.

    Immediate past President and Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Mr. Abiola Poopola, said it is important for those seeking employment to know the right and modern techniques to apply. He said many artisan job seekers, graduates and professionals are not aware that innovate methods need to be brought to bear in their job search, saying to beat off competition from fellow employment hopefuls requires knowing these.

    Popoola said not knowing the correct strategies to apply as a job seeker has resulted in cost opportunities, which ordinarily, would have easily been secured.

    Human Resource Practitioner, Mr. Sunny Agboju, said the trend of mistakes by prospective job seekers persists because most job hunters do not  update their curriculum vitae and other professional profiles.

    He said some fresh graduates believed that their curriculum vitae will fit all jobs. He said this is a wrong assumption, stressing that it is not surprising that those who have the techniques, apply and get the job.

    “Job hunting is tough but absolutely not impossible. Job seekers must know that the key to finding and keeping work in tough times is the same as in good times. The more positive action you take, the better your chances of landing a great job,” he said.

    He said, for instance, it is quite sad that many jobs published in newspapers have  been opened within the company, claiming that in most cases, the employees would have been given slots and mandated to provide qualified persons till the available vancant positions.

    “Therefore, by the time the job gets online or in the dailies, a lot must have happened, candidates from everywhere must have sent in their resumes. At this time, you are at a disadvantage. Most of these jobs are posted for formality sake, so that the company can be seen to be offering equal opportunities to everyone.

    “A proactive person will get to know if there is a recruitment going on before it goes public.

    “A proactive person is one who has passed stage one of this job posts, knowing the hiring manager or employment agents. He puts up coded calls on a regular basis to find out what is new and what is happening in the company, relates with hiring officers or manager regularly,” he said.

    Outlining techniques and strategies that could be applied by job seekers to land targeted jobs,  Country Director, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Nigeria, Mrs. Omowumi Gbadamosi, said candidates must be smart and fast and be better than their counterparts.

    According to her, following up immediately after meeting someone or learning of an opportunity, or returning calls right away are some smart, fast and better strategies that a job seeker can employ to get a job and also by extension, become part of workers events. For instance by attending workshops, fora and others.

    Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in the world. Like every other highly populated country, it is expected that the unemployment rate would be high. Whenever there is a job opening, thousands of people if not millions apply online, using the same methods, the same type of resume/CV templates and in most cases, they all have similar aims and objectives.

    “Therefore, the best way to overcome this scenario is to be one-step ahead of the many other applicants, conduct your job search online but do not apply online unless it is very necessary to do so. After that, take one-step forward ahead of your competitors by also applying in person. Find out who the hiring managers are and make direct contacts with them. Getting their phone numbers or email address is a good way to go,” she said.

    Industrial Relations expert, Dr. Peter Okhiria, said there is a psychological challenge associated with being unemployed, particularly when there is ability and willingness on the part of the unemployed to work.

    He said it is important for individuals and the national socio-economic well-being that willing and able job seekers get work, or have an avenue to speak out.

    He said it was the division that exists within labour circles that gave room for a critical stakeholder like job seekers to become exempted from an event that would have provided an excellent opportunity for the country’s policy makers to remember the challenges the unemployed are grappling with.

    Chief Executive of Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, (ISMN), Mr. Yemi Mapaderun, said it is necessary for employment hopefuls to challenge themselves at all time. He said they should also  show up at forums where attention could be drawn to their situation.

    He explained that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the closest to insanity, noting that job seekers need to initiate, develop and adopt new concepts that can aid their chances of getting jobs.

    “Job seekers in any case don’t have to wait for any formal invitation from labour groups to attend any labour gathering where the people that can change their situation are fully gathered. They must take their destiny in their own hands and not wait for things to be done the way they have always been.”

    He pointed out that to get a job in an economy as challenging as Nigeria’s, job seekers must adopt the strategies of casting their nets  wide and become more creative than ever.

    Mapaderun said trying new and various approach holds the key for an effective job search for artisans and professionals.

    “Challenge yourself to attend networking events in new industries, towns or social circles. Start looking in the newspaper if you have never done that before. Look for jobs at small companies if you have always looked to working big corporations,” he said, adding that most great things have humble beginings.

  • Wanted: Visa facilitators for tourists

    Wanted: Visa facilitators for tourists

    Standing in for those seeking Visas is not the kind of job you would find on the pages of newspapers, or on notice boards, but the truth is, there are many young men making a living by helping people fix visa appointments in many embassies. Besides, there are others who arrange business tours and visits to tourists’sites. They serve as sources of job creation, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

    From site sighting – mountain climbing, driving in cable cars, sun bathing, entertainment – to networking with people across socio-economic divides, tourism is alluring. Through tourism, people relax their nerves, share experiences and move closer to nature.

    Across the world, governments and private entities are tapping into opportunities in the tourism industry.  In developed economies, such as United States, Britain, Canada, Singapore and South Africa, tourism business is booming.

    Apart from generating revenues to fund fiscal projects, it contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For exmaple, Singapore is believed to be generating the bulk of its revenue from tourism.

    Beyond this, job opportunities abound in the tourism sector.  Findings show that there are many areas that people can explore to create jobs in tourism. These include tour guides, site management, hospitality management and visa facilitation.

    Through visa facilitation, individuals and firms assist tourists to procure visas for a fee. The idea has become one of the major tools of job creation, not only in Europe, but also in Africa. Though travel agents are helping people to obtain visas, they do not only render services to tourists.

    A report from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said it all. The report, presented at a forum in Bali, Indonesia, stated that visa facilitation would create 2.6 million jobs globally by 2016, adding that $89 billion would be generated by 57 million tourists soon.

    It said countries in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Region, such as China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, would create jobs through this means.The report also said Nigeria would create jobs through visa facilitation.

    According to the report, the majority of tourists arriving these countries between this year and 2016 will need new visas, adding that they would be facilitated by experts in the industry.

    Experts said unemployed graduates can earn a living through visa facilitation. They advise graduates to enrol for courses in tourism and related areas, adding that the development would help them a lot. They said travel agents are not helping tourists to procure visas, urging graduates to tap into the opportunities in the sector.

    The Secretary, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN), Lucky George, said visa facilitation is an area that provides jobs for experts. He said the idea would create jobs for people who know their onions, adding that non-professionals will find it difficult to fit in and provide such services.

    He said: “Visa facilitation is a specialised area of travel and tour industry. It has the potential to create jobs for people who have the pre-requisite attributes, such as  credibility, thoroughness, good knowledge of the industry, and such credentials which are required from visa facilitators. Anybody who fails to provide these attributes cannot operate as a visa facilitator.

    “Most people you see around Embassies working to help travellers obtain visas are not visa facilitators. They are touts, and cannot be patronised by serious minded people. Their knowledge of the industry is shallow; they do not have credibility and certificates. They can run away with clients’ money. It is dangerous to transact business through touts. Touts are not trained and are bound to commit offence. That is the reason the industry sees visa facilitators as professionals who have acquired skills needed to do the job.”

    He said visa facilitators interface between the tourists and the Embassies, stressing that they operate in line with the laws guiding the industry.

    “For instance, if a school is embarking on foreign tour, visa facilitators are required to get the number of students, their documents and liaise with the embassy to get visas for them,” he added.

    George, also a publisher of African Tourism Magazine, said tourism is not for dropouts because its activities are dynamic and are handled by professionals. He said only 50 out of 2,000 tour operators in Nigeria are certified, advising operators to follow due process for growth.

    Also, aviation cum-tourism expert, Nkechi Uko, said visa facilitation has the capacity to create jobs for millions globally. He said people living within countries designated as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation region, would get jobs by going into visa facilitation.  He said the region boasts of large number of tourists, adding that the process of procuring visa is simplified in that region.

    “There are people working as agents to facilitate visas for tourists who wish to visit Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They are based in the country and have provided jobs through this means. However, the benefits of visa facilitation are yet to be realised in Nigeria. The reason is because the Federal Government does not have a platform to do that. At present, visa procurement is mainly the responsibility of embassies in Nigeria. It would take sometime before the idea gains ground in the country,” he added.

    The former Managing Director, Longman Nigeria Plc, Dr Dan Obidiegwu, said there are limitless opportunities in the country. He said the sector is at the development stage, adding that it can provide huge earnings for the government if the right policies are put in place.

    He said the establishment and upgrading of centres, such as Obudu Cattle Ranch, Ikogosi Waters Spring,  Yankari Game Reserves and Olumo Rock show that there are huge potential in the country.

    “Many sites are yet to be discovered in Nigeria. We are blessed with beautiful landscapes among other areas that can be converted into tourist centres for socio-economic growth. Unlike Europe and United States that have thousands of sites that generate income and further assisting in creating jobs in those climes, it is a different case in Nigeria. With time, thousands of jobs would be created through tourism industry,” he said.

    The Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, said the potential in the industry have not been fully harnessed. She said the sector is capable of generating millions of jobs, advising governments and private organisations to tap into the opportunities offered by the sector.

    Mrs Mbanefo said at a forum in Lagos that the government is channelling enormous resources into the sector to fast-track growth.  She said people are yet to maximise opportunities in the industry, advising the unemployed to look inward and see what they can do for themselves. The opportunities, she said, are enormous, adding that people must have insights into what they want to do before veering into tourism.